Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I just bought a Yellow Ratsnake.He is only about 15-18 inches in length.I would just like some advice on bedding( I heard aspen is the best but would like other people's comments as well.Right now I am using lizard liter),feeding habits and temp of the tank.

Since the snake is fairly small as of now I am housing him in a 10 gallon tank.I was told that putting him in a bigger tank then what he was use to could stress the snake so I have him in the 10 for now and will move him into something larger.I am using a 60 watt dayglo bulb and a 60 watt nightglo for heating.For bedding I am using the lizard liter as mentioned above.I have a heavy watering dish,a plastic bush and some drift wood for climbing.Anything else I should add and should I move him to a 20 gallon tank now or wait?

As far as feeding goes I know of course to feed him pinky mice but I have read that young ratsnakes actually prefer anoles and tree frogs over pinkies.Should I stick with pinkies or give him a little variety?Any information is helpful as I want to take the best care possible of my new pet.

Congrats on your yellow rat. They are great snakes and very under rated in my opinion. He's probably ok in a 10 gallon now but he'll need a larger tank before too long.
One thing you didn't mention is a hide box. If you dont already have one you'll want to buy one or make one. That will give him somewhere to escape stress and feel secure.
I would feed pre-killed rodents only. Yellow rats are generally great feeders so there's no need to feed frogs and lizards. Wild caught frogs and lizards have parasites that can be transferred to your snake.
Keep the heat source on one end of the tank so your snake has a thermal gradient. If you only have one hidebox keep it on the cool side. I'm not familar with lizard litter but aspen or newspaper are both good substrates for ratsnakes.
Good luck,
Chris

Thanks a lot for the advice!